PREFACE. Xll 



of the tract it states, &quot; The King of Spain, Philip, 

 son to Charles the Fifth, about 60 years of age :&quot; 

 but he was born on the 21st of May, 1527, so that 

 he was 6() years old in 1.587, when Bacon was be 

 tween 16 and 17 years old. The Author of Bacon s 

 Life in the Biographia Britannica, from these differ 

 ent dates, concludes that the tract was written at 

 different periods of time, beginning, as he must sup 

 pose, when Bacon was quite a boy : but, as it was 

 not necessary for the purposes of this tract that the 

 ages of the different monarchs should be ascertained 

 with great precision, it is, perhaps, not probable that 

 they were accurately examined, and the only fair 

 inference is that it was written at a very early period 

 of his life.* 



The same author says, &quot; But what is extremely 

 &quot; remarkable in this small treatise, is the care and ac- 

 &quot; curacy with which he has set down most of the little 

 &quot; princes in Germany, with the state of their domi- 

 &quot; nions.&quot; This minute observation, however, extends 

 to all his works : and of all the extraordinary pro 

 perties of Bacon s wonderful mind, his constant ob 

 servation of what, we, in common parlance, call 

 trifles, appears to be one of the most extraordinary. 

 &quot; See,&quot; he says, &quot; the little cloud upon glass or 

 &quot;gems or blades of swords, and mark well the dis- 

 &quot; charge of that cloud, and you shall perceive that 



* The tract says, &quot; D. Antonio, elect King of Portugal, is 

 &quot; now in Fraoce, where he hath levied soldiers, whereof part arc 

 &quot; embarked, hoping to be restored again.&quot; 



